Quality Assurance Manager

Darigold is seeking an experienced and driven Quality Assurance Manager to be a part of Darigold’s Portland team. The Quality Assurance Manager must possess the desire and ability to plan, organize, and direct quality assurance personnel and programs to assure that plant products conform to Darigold defined product quality standards, as well as, Federal, State, and local standards of product identity, safety and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s). As a member of the Sunnyside team the Quality Manager will be a true strategic partner in the Operations Division. The Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for all aspects of food quality and food safety in the Milk Powder Plant at the Sunnyside Facility. This role is to serve as a resource for plant management in the areas of GMP’s, HACCP, regulatory and customer requirements, sanitation, food safety and quality program administration.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (other duties may be assigned):

• Establish, manage, and maintain programs, procedures, and policies designed to ensure that the plant remains in compliance with all corporate, regulatory, and BRC requirements involving food quality and food safety.
• Drive continual quality improvement as measured by Quality key performance indicators including internal and external audits, and company quality metrics
• Provide technical support to plant operations to investigate issues related to food quality and food safety and manage the hold order system. Coordinate holds, product disposition, and assist with any product withdrawals and recalls.
• Maintains a professional working relationship with plant management, customers and vendors. Must also work closely with vendors and customers on product quality reports and audits.
• Possesses a high degree of initiative, attention to detail, flexibility, and ability to change priorities quickly to meet the needs of the business.
• Works closely with the Plant Manager & Maintenance Manager in all areas of the plant to include project plans, improvement plans, installation of new equipment, and other projects and assignments as needed.
• Carries out additional assignments made by the corporate Quality Director, Site Quality Manager, and Plant Manager.
• Provides site management and Corporate Quality Personnel with regular and complete reports on all matters pertaining to quality issues and standards.
• Assist the Site Quality Manager with audits being conducted to include Regulatory, GFSI, and Customer audits.
• Ensure SOP programs are being properly administered by plant management team and conduct or assist in employee training objectives for the plant.
• Ensure the trace (recall) program is current and up to date; all traceability records and documentation for packaging / finished goods / ingredients are always maintained.
• Partner with plant operations to investigate quality non-conformities to root cause and implement corrective actions to prevent incident reoccurrence
• Review all CIP and CCP charts for accuracy and compliance with regulatory agency requirements.
• Monitors and reports plant sanitation efforts. Makes appropriate recommendations to management.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• 
  Excellent communication, interpersonal and writing skills.
• High attention to detail and reasoning skills, ability to follow directives both verbal and written, and a self-motivator
• Ability to deal effectively with all plant employees.
• Good technical understanding of manufactured dairy products.
• Ability to troubleshoot quality issues in a manufacturing environment.
• Possess computer skills in Microsoft Office, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint

Education, Experience and Certifications:

• B.S. in Dairy, Food Science, or Science related field.
• 5 to 8 years combined experience in dairy quality control, sanitation and/or production.
• Complete understanding of computer driven process controls for a dairy manufacturing facility, and PC literate.

Darigold is known for delivering fresh, high quality, value-added dairy products to people, & customer-driven solutions to organizations, all around the globe. We are the 5th largest dairy Co-Op in the US & one of the largest privately held organizations headquartered in Seattle, Washington. We produce over 10 billion pounds of milk every year! Since 1918, our Farmer-owners have taken great pride in producing nutritious dairy products with unsurpassed quality. Our work environment provides a results driven, collaborative space, with open & transparent communication, & a culture of celebrating everyone’s wins. Our mid-size private business model provides the ability to have dynamic involvement at all levels of our organization. We are also proud to say we offer an excellent Total Compensation Package & a few other unique perks to our industry!

At Darigold we embrace diversity & welcome all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, marital status, creed, religion, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law- We’re proud to say we are an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.

As a condition of employment applicants offered a role will be required to successfully pass our pre-employment background screen, receive a negative drug screen result & confirm eligibility to work in the U.S. We participate in E-Verify- please follow the links for details, English / Spanish & view our Right to Work Statement, English / Spanish.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)